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SB0674 • 2026

Employees, Employers

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7 and Title 50, relative to the regulation of employment.

Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Taylor, Todd
Last action
2026-03-16
Official status
Effective date(s) 03/06/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date is set for March 6, 2026, which may affect its immediate impact on existing rules.

Regulating Employment Terms and Conditions

This bill stops local governments from making rules about employment that are stricter than state or federal laws.

What This Bill Does

  • Prevents local governments from creating rules for employment terms and conditions that go beyond what the state or federal government has already set.
  • Adds a new section to Tennessee law stating that only the state can make rules about employment terms and conditions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local governments in Tennessee
  • Employers and employees in Tennessee

Terms To Know

preempt
To take control over a subject area, preventing local laws from being stricter than state or federal laws.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not apply to employees working for local governments.
  • It is unclear how this will affect existing local employment rules until it becomes law on March 6, 2026.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/06/2026

  2. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 552

  3. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 552

  4. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 70, Nays 22, PNV 1

  10. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/23/2026

  14. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/19/2026

  15. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 2/18/2026

  17. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee

  18. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  19. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  20. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  21. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 24, Nays 5

  23. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/9/2025

  24. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  25. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/25/2025

  26. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/25/2025

  27. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  28. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  29. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  30. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  31. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee

  32. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee

  33. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  34. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Under the "Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act," local governments are prohibited from adopting certain ordinances that would i
mpede intrastate commerce. This bill adds that t
he general assembly preempts and occupies the entire field of regulating the terms and conditions of employment. Unless expressly provided for by state law, a local government and any agency, department, or
official of a local government
is prohibited from
adopt
ing
or enforc
ing
an ordinance, resolution, rule, code, requirement, or policy that requires a term or condition of employment that exceeds or conflicts with the law of this state or federal law.
Howe
ver, this provision does
not apply with respect to employees of a local government
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 900
By Todd

SENATE BILL 674
By Taylor

SB0674
002161
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7 and
Title 50, relative to the regulation of employment.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-1802(e), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(e) Subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), and (g) do not apply with respect to employees
of a local government.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-1802, is amended by adding
the following new subsection:
(g) The general assembly preempts and occupies the entire field of regulating
the terms and conditions of employment. Unless expressly provided for by state law, a
local government and any agency, department, or official of a local government shall not
adopt or enforce an ordinance, resolution, rule, code, requirement, or policy that requires
a term or condition of employment that exceeds or conflicts with the law of this state or
federal law.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.